Shattered Realities
by Alwayssg1
Summary: When one of their own ends up in another reality thanks to the Quantum Realm, everyone bands together to put two realities right again, but the consequences of what they learn could change both realities forever.
1. Chapter 1

**This plot bunny came from supesfan18. I hope I can do it Justice. As always, I don't own Marvel. I just play with them. No copyright infringement intended.**

"It doesn't make any sense!" Tony yelled as he made yet another adjustment to the computer. "I need an explanation, people."

"The Quantum Realm was never meant to be used the way you people used it," Hank said as he pushed Tony to the side. "Not that I'm complaining since you brought back half the universe but-"

"You're going to complain anyway," Janet replied, a sad smile on her face. "There are many possible reasons why Captain Rogers has not returned. Has anyone checked the history books?"

"No changes there," Bruce frowned.

Janet nodded. "If he were still in the Quantum Realm, it seems likely the locater chips you installed in his suit would allow us to pull him out. If he isn't still trapped in 1945 in our reality-"

"Then he is in another reality," Shuri finished. "What experience do you have with other realities?"

"Besides knowing they exist, none," Janet replied. "We know he successfully completed his part of the mission, so it seems likely he was transported elsewhere while attempting to return home."

"How do we get him back?" Natasha asked.

None of the scientists spoke for a moment, but eventually Hope sat beside Natasha and looked her in the eye. "We don't. I'm sorry, I know he was more important to you than he was to the rest of us.. But, there's absolutely nothing we can do from this end. He would have to find his way back with the help of our counterparts. It's possible Steve Rogers doesn't even know he is in another reality. He could believe he's living out his days right here or even in our past. We can only hope he's safe."

"Safe and happy," Falcon said softly. "We can hope he's found peace, Widow. I know this is hard. I hate it, too, but these are the best minds on the planet. If they say it can't be done then it probably can't be done. We will get through this together. You are not alone."

Wanda gave her a quick hug. "I'm so sorry."

"It isn't right," Tony argued. "This plan was supposed to mean no one was sacrificed. We just defeated a mad titan bent on destroying half the universe. Cap should be here with us. This should be a celebration, but I don't feel like running any victory laps." Tony threw his hands in the air. "I'm not giving up, Red, er, got to come up with a new nickname for you or you need to make a trip to the beauty shop. I will find a way to fix this."

Natasha only nodded. "Somebody needs to tell Carol as soon as she returns."

Nobody moved to stop Natasha as she made her way to the door. It had been a difficult couple of days at the end and an even more difficult couple of years. The Snap had taken out half of all living creatures, but it hadn't been enough to stop the remaining Avengers. Thanks to their lucky break finding Scott and the van full of the Pym's greatest invention, they had travelled through time and reversed Thanos's victory. But, without Steve, their fearless leader, it seemed pointless.

Natasha walked into the locker room, grabbed a change of clothes from her locker and went straight to the shower. She needed some time to process a reality without her best friend. It still seemed funny giving Steve that title, one she had always reserved for Clint, but it was true. Clint saved her, but Steve's trust in her had made her a better person. Now he was gone.

Just as Natasha was pulling the towel around her body, the door opened to the locker room and Steve walked straight to her, pulled her into his arms, and kissed her hard. She felt so exposed, and she knew it was wrong, but she was so relieved to see him alive that she kissed him back.

They were still in an embrace when Carol walked in. "Carol, it's not what you think-" she began, but Carol cut her off.

"I see I was right about where Natasha would be," Carol smiled. "Steve made it through the portal right after I arrived. When they told him you thought he was lost, he couldn't get to you fast enough."

Steve still had his arms around Natasha's waist. It was disconcerting. "Carol, I swear this has never happened before. Steve, let go, and talk to your girlfriend."

Steve and Carol exchanged looks then stared at Natasha. "Nat, we've been married for almost four years. What's going on?" Steve asked.

"Carol's only been here for two. You've only been dating a few months," Natasha paused. "'Might not even realize he was in an alternate reality', that's what Hope said. I think I get it. This isn't my reality. I'm the one who has ended up in the wrong place."

"I don't know what's going on, but we are going to find out. Get dressed. I'll alert the others," Steve said firmly before walking out the door.

"We'll figure this out, Natasha," Carol added before following him.

 **This one is short by necessity. More to come. Thanks for reading.**


	2. Chapter 2

Natasha walked back into the control room as soon as she was dressed. This could not possibly be happening. Everyone looked and sounded exactly the same, but there was one glaring difference that proved she could not possibly be home.

Steve's kiss from a few minutes before still burned on her lips, and she chastised herself for relishing the feeling. That kiss wasn't meant for her. It was for his wife-his wife who was obviously just as displaced as she was. How did she end up trapped in a reality with Steve as her husband? She glanced over in his direction. He looked so lost.

"She's here," Carol said when she noticed Natasha, "we need to figure this out."

"Okay, the first thing we should do is get all the facts. We need to figure out everything that is different between the two realities. Obviously, there are several similarities since Natasha didn't realize this was not her home right away. That implies the realities are not many degrees apart," Janet said, putting her reading glasses on her face and passing everyone in the room paper and pens.

"Degrees apart?" asked Sam.

"The theory we are working under is relatively simple," Hank replied. "There are billions and billions of realities with new ones being created by every decision each of us makes. One Sam met Captain America while jogging on the National Mall. His counterpart stayed up late the night before watching Kimmel, skipped his morning run, and never became Falcon. Two realities split in that instant.

"If we can figure out the point where our reality and Natasha's reality split then we can begin the long and arduous process of developing an algorithm that will locate Natasha's reality. Then and only then can we even start looking for a way to send her back."

"Simple? Doesn't exactly sound simple to me," Sam said, rolling his eyes. "Sounds like our widow is far from home, and this widow is going to need a lot of help."

"Sounds like we're looking for a needle in a haystack," Bucky added.

"That is because we are," Hank said. "We are dealing with many, many unknown quantities. I suggest we get started."

"What about my Natasha?" Steve asked. "Is she in this woman's reality?"

Natasha felt a little ill hearing Steve refer to her as 'this woman', but she also understood his frustration. His wife was missing, and she had her face. Plus, this wasn't her Steve, um, Carol's Steve. Even her Steve wasn't technically her Steve. Why was that suddenly bothering her so much? He had never been hers in the first place. She had been the one who noticed Carol's crush when they were waiting for Tony, Bruce, Scott, and Shuri to complete the upgrades necessary to get the missing pieces and defeat Thanos. It had been her nudging that caused Steve to finally ask Carol out, and Natasha had been very pleased with the result. This was insane.

She listened quietly as Janet tried to explain the situation to Steve. "We can't be certain of anything, but it is in the realm of possibility. Chances are actually very good that she's doing this same exercise trying to figure out how to get back to you. If all went well in the other reality, I'm sure she's noticed the differences. Two missing children and a super soldier husband who suddenly isn't your husband would be pretty big clues. We can't help our Natasha, but we can help this one. I'm very sorry. I wish I could give you more answers, but it's going to take time."

Natasha's heart sank. Did Janet just say this reality's Natasha was a mother? This could be the factor that split the realities. "I can't have children," she found herself admitting. "The Red Room-"

"Graduation ceremony," Steve finished. "My Nat went through that, too."

"Then how?" she asked.

"Dr. Helen Cho designed a cradle. It was like an incubator. Our twins grew there until they reached full-term. After Ultron," Steve paused. "Did you encounter Ultron?" Natasha nodded. "After Ultron, we went to her and nine months later, the twins were born. They were almost eighteen months when the snap happened. We lost James. We've watched Sarah grow up without her brother for two years. Now, he's back and those two years have been erased as if they never even happened. My wife needs to be here. She needs to see that her son is alive. She doesn't need to miss one minute of their lives."

Natasha looked at Steve in shock. She may be the one displaced, but he was the one who had lost everything. Honestly, her own life paled in comparison to this Natasha's. All she had to return to was her team. "If we can get me home, I need to take the research with me then if she's in my reality, I promise I'll get her back to you."

Steve nodded. "Thank you."

"Let's get started people," Tony interrupted. "Why don't we go ahead and start with the elephant in the room first?" He looked straight at Natasha. "You aren't married to Cap in your reality. If we can figure out why that is different, then we may have our data. Can you tell us how you met Cap? And keep talking until Cap, hopefully, discovers the difference."

Natasha nodded and began to recount everything she could recall in her friendship with Steve. "Steve decided to go looking for Bucky after we took down the Hydra agents infiltrating Shield. I went to create new aliases. Sam went with Steve, and we didn't see each other again until the following year at-"

"Stop," Steve said softly. " My Natasha was going to go off and create new aliases, too. She handed me the folder and kissed me on the cheek. When she turned to walk away, I went after her. I told her I wasn't sure I'd be able to find Bucky without her, and she agreed to come along. We fell in love over the course of that year and returned to the tower together as husband and wife."

Natasha's heart skipped a beat. "Could that have been the dividing point?"

Janet nodded. "It's very possible. It is certainly significant enough for us to start running some numbers. Shuri, we may need your lab."

"Of course," the princess replied. "We can leave for Wakanda at once. I am anxious to see my brother."

"Clint will be here with the twins within the hour," Carol said softly. "We need to figure out how to handle the babies. They're going to expect to see their mother."

"She's not wrong, Cap. You need to decide how to handle this. Sarah doesn't remember the last 2 years. In their minds, those kids are eighteen month old babies whose parents left just a few days ago," Sam said softly. "It's going to take some time to get Widow back. How do you want to handle this?"

Steve put his face in his hands. "I don't know."

"We do have a Natasha right here," Bucky suggested. "With her history, I'm pretty sure she could pull off the charade."

"You want me to just replace my wife with a stranger? Have you lost your mind?" Steve exclaimed.

"Or, you could just deal with two crying toddlers who don't understand why they don't have their mother," Bucky suggested.

Steve glared at him for a moment then looked at Natasha but said nothing.

"I'll do it if you want," Natasha found herself replying. "It's your call. If all goes well, I'll go home soon and your wife can come back. The children don't have to know unless you think it's best."

"How much experience do you have with children?" Steve asked.

"Besides Cooper, Lila, and Nathaniel, not much," Natasha said honestly. "I don't know what your wife would do, but I would hope she'd offer to do the same for me if the situation were reversed. I'm not the enemy here. Believe me, I just want to go home as soon as possible, but until I go, I want to be as much help as possible."

Steve stared at her intently then sighed. "She would do the same thing. If you're willing then I'd rather not try to explain to my kids that their mother is missing and another woman has her face."

 **Our Reality (Exact Same Time)**

Steve looked across the conference table at the woman who was obviously not his Natasha. She looked exhausted. "Tony and the others are already on their way to Wakanda to figure this out. There's nothing more we can do tonight anyway. I'll walk Natasha to her quarters."

"She doesn't exactly have quarters here, Cap. She's a long way from home," Sam said softly.

"Nat wouldn't mind her using hers. She needs to rest, Sam. Today's been hard on all of us, but none of it even compares to how she must be feeling."

Sam nodded. Steve stood and motioned for their current Natasha to follow him. He tried to avoid making eye contact with Carol. They could talk later. Right now, he just needed to focus on the woman who was married to another version of him.

They walked in silence to Natasha's room. When they arrived, Steve followed her inside. "This was Carol's room in my reality. We were married before we even moved into the compound, and after the twins came along, Steve insisted on a house. If your Natasha is with my family, can I trust her to keep them safe?"

"I trust Nat with my life. There is absolutely no one I trust more. She won't let anything happen to your family," Steve assured her.

"Can I ask you a question?"

"Sure, anything."

"We established that realities probably split when my Steve asked me to go with him and you didn't. Did the thought even cross your mind to ask her to tag along?"

"It did. I wanted her to come with me, but I was afraid she would say no. By the time I returned, she was interested in Bruce and I knew I had missed my chance. She's my partner and probably the only one other than Tony who isn't afraid to just get in my face and tell me what's what. I need her back, Natasha, but I'm trusting your people to help her get back to me. I'm sure your Steve is trusting us to do the same."

"You love her?"

"No, but I very easily could have once upon a time. You want the truth? Right now, I'm kicking myself for not begging her to go with me on that search. But, it doesn't matter now. I'm with Carol, and Nat's, at least temporarily, lost. We missed our chance at something that sounds pretty amazing, but as long as I get my partner back, I'll be satisfied with what we have."

"I guess there's a difference between my Steve and you, after all."

"What's that?"

"If my Steve had learned everything you learned today, he would make sure I was way more than just his partner before everything was said and done. Steve and I are good together. I'm willing to bet you and your Natasha would be just as happy. When we fix this, don't do the noble thing for once in your life. Your loyalty to Carol is very you, but I can tell you don't love her the way my Steve loves me. Get me home then get your girl, Steve."

 **Hopefully, this chapter has brought a few more answers. Anytime, we are in the reality our Natasha is in, the point of view will be hers. In the reality our Steve is in, things will be from his point of view. I'll also try to make sure the subtitles clearly delineate the realities.**


	3. Chapter 3

Natasha tried not to stare as Clint walked into the room with the two small children, but it was almost impossible. James had her red hair and Steve's blue eyes. His pudgy little cheeks were pink and his eyes groggy. He had obviously just woken up. Sarah had Steve's coloring through and through, but, otherwise, Sarah was a petite copy of herself. The little girl immediately threw her hands out to Natasha, anxious to be held.

Natasha noticed the way Clint looked towards Steve and waited for his nod before coming close enough for the little girl to squirm out of Clint's arms and into Natasha's. Natasha immediately hugged the little girl and took in the sweet scent of baby powder and Johnson and Johnson's shampoo. She watched as Steve took James into his arms and pulled him close, remembering his words from earlier. James had been a victim of the snap. This was a special moment.

Tears welled up in Natasha's eyes as she watched the father and son. This should not be her moment to witness. They had to fix this and bring the children's mother home. Soon, James was demanding her attention, and she and Steve traded babies. He looked at her as he took Sarah from her arms. "Thank you," he said softly, and Natasha understood his meaning. He wasn't thanking her for handing him his daughter. He was thanking her for letting his children enjoy the ignorant bliss of not knowing their mother was missing.

When it was time to leave the compound, Bucky was following with an overnight bag on his should. "I figured he might need to talk once the kids were in bed," Bucky explained, "and, I thought it might be less awkward for both of you if I came along."

"Thank you, James," Natasha said softly.

Bucky smiled. "Our Nat always calls me James, too. At least that's what she called me until the little guy came along. You really are just like her. It's not going to be easy for Steve, having you here helping with his kids, but it sure will be better for the twins if they never have to know. They'll find a way to send you home. Don't worry."

"And, you'll get your Natasha back," she assured him. "If she's with my people, they won't quit until she's home."

Natasha recognized the house as soon as they pulled into the driveway. Before the Accords, it had been for sale in her reality. Steve had dragged her to look at it so she could give him her opinion. He had seriously considered buying it. Living in the compound got a little difficult at times, and he thought he might want a place of his own. He had even offered to let her crash in one of the spare rooms if she ever needed a break. Of course, in the end, he decided he should stay with the other Avengers and the house sold.

The twins were sleepy, so she helped Steve dress them and put them to bed. They didn't really talk until the children were asleep. "Bucky has his own room here," Steve said, pointing to the door of the room her Steve had offered her. "We have another guest room. You are welcome to it." He opened the door to the nicely decorated room and turned on the light. "You can move some of Nat's clothes in here. I'm sure she wouldn't mind you borrowing a few things."

Natasha nodded. "I'm sure my Steve has already set your Natasha up with a few of my things, and it doesn't bother me at all. I doubt she would mind if I did the same, but, if it's going to be too hard for you, I'll borrow some things from Wanda or Carol."

"No point. You won't be here long anyway. Nat wouldn't mind, so it's fine with me," Steve said, his voice strained.

"You'll get her back," Natasha promised. "We won't stop until your family is back together."

"Look at me. I'm being incredibly insensitive. You're the one who's far from home. How are you holding up?"

"Shocked," Natasha replied. "A few hours ago, we saved the universe and I thought my best friend was lost. Now, I know I'm the one who is lost. It's weird. Where were you this afternoon anyway? In all the chaos, I never asked."

"I accidentally briefly ended up in 1985. It was definitely culture shock," Steve replied.

"Oh, I bet."

"But, I just tried again and I was here. I'm sorry about the kiss. I really didn't-"

"I know. You thought you were kissing your wife. It's okay, Steve."

Steve looked her in the eyes. "You're not with him, but you kissed me back."

"I was relieved. I thought I'd never see my best friend again. I guess I briefly forgot he had a girlfriend."

"Danvers, huh, I can't even imagine it," Steve replied. "How did that even happen?"

"I set them up. They're good together. Steve is more relaxed. It's really nice."

"And, what about you? If you aren't with the other me, you must be with someone else."

"Helping Steve bring back half the universe has been a full-time job for the last few years. I've kept my focus."

"Yet, you still had time to meddle in other people's love life."

"Just Steve's. He, out of all of us, deserves to be happy."

"So, he has no idea you're in love with him?" Steve asked.

"What? In love with Steve? No, not in my reality. He's Captain America. I'm the Black Widow. That's not a combination I would ever have considered."

"Until today," Steve replied. "You know what I think? I think you've been fooling yourself for a long time. You love him, and he doesn't even know."

Natasha looked down, unwilling to meet his eyes, "I'm not sure. Today's been very confusing."

"Get some sleep. We'll get you home then I suggest you figure it out."

"He's with Carol."

"Maybe he shouldn't be," Steve said as he left the room and closed the door.

Natasha woke up a few hours later to crying children. She pulled her borrowed robe on and slipped into the hallway just as Steve walked into the twins' room. She followed.

"This doesn't happen often, just when they've been away from us a few days. I'm just going to cuddle in beside James. Do you mind taking care of Sarah?" Steve asked.

Natasha nodded and climbed into the toddler bed with the little girl. "Tight squeeze," she whispered as Steve did the same on the other side of the room.

"Ordinarily, we would just take them to our bed, but-"

"That would bring up questions best left unanswered," Natasha finished then they each turned to concentrate on the children in their arms.

 **Our Reality**

Steve didn't go straight to his quarters after settling in their visitor. Instead, he went down to the gym and took out his frustrations on a punching bag. Today was supposed to be the day they set everything right, but with Natasha missing and a stranger in her place, he just felt miserable.

He also needed to avoid Carol. She was probably waiting in his quarters. She was there more often than she was in her own anymore. Steve hadn't exactly asked her to move in with him, but more of her things appeared every day and he just kind of accepted her little intrusion into his space. She was his girl, why did it feel like an intrusion?

Steve wondered if his Natasha was dealing with the shock any better than the Natasha who had taken her place. Was she absolutely horrified that another her was married to another him? Was she even in that reality? Maybe she was stuck somewhere else, somewhere where Banner never left? The thought of Natasha with Banner made Steve punch the bag a little too hard. It went crashing to the ground, sand spilling everywhere. Steve got a broom and quickly cleaned up his mess then he walked towards his quarters.

Carol was there. She was half asleep in his bed when he entered the room. "That took longer than I expected," she said softly.

"Not really. I needed to get in a little workout. You shouldn't have waited up," Steve replied as he removed his shirt.

"Thought maybe we should talk."

"We'll get Nat back. Tony isn't going to let anybody rest until there's a solution."

"I know," she replied softly, "but that's not why I thought we should talk. She's married to you."

"Not me, exactly. She's married to him."

"A fact that by it self caused two realities to split."

"Yeah, well, according to Hank, it doesn't take much to cause that to happen," Steve replied, climbing in bed beside her. "It was a choice. That Steve asked her to go with him. I didn't. Everything after that moment was completely different."

"Was it? Because, from where I'm standing, it doesn't seem so different. You're not married, but she sure does consume all of your time."

"Nat is my partner. Of course, we spend time together. We all spend a lot of time together. It's part of being a team-a team, I might add, that has been pretty busy trying to right the biggest wrong in the history of the universe."

"I guess I'm being silly. You know I'm not usually like this."

"What? Jealous?" he asked, a small smile on his face. "No, you aren't, so don't let this get to you."

Carol raised up slightly. "I'm more worried about this getting to you. Doesn't this make you wonder what could have been, Steve?"

Steve sighed. He knew he was a terrible liar, and he saw no reason to lie now. "A little. I'm really happy with you, but did I want something more with Natasha in the past? I think I did. Does it matter now? No, I made the choice. I didn't ask her to tag along and we didn't start some whirlwind romance. None of that happened for me, so why should it bother me now?"

"It shouldn't, but I have a feeling it does," Carol said softly. "I don't want to lose you."

Steve kissed her cheek. "I'm right here."

Carol just sighed. "For now."


	4. Chapter 4

**Our Reality (Steve is here. Our Natasha is in the other reality)**

"Two weeks," Steve thought to himself as he walked down the corridor of the compound searching for Bucky. "They've got to figure this out soon." Steve was so deep in his thoughts he accidentally bumped into Natasha as she was stepping out of her room, well, his Nat's room, he reminded himself. He hadn't seen much of her since the first day. He wasn't stupid. He knew she'd been avoiding him. "Sorry, I should have been paying attention. Are you okay?"

"No problem. I'm the Black Widow in my reality, too, Steve. I don't break easily," she smirked.

Steve smiled. "How are you holding up?"

"I'm ready to go home, but there's not much I can do until we figure out a solution."

"I haven't seen you much," he said softly.

"I know," she replied just as softly. "I thought it might be easier on all of us if I stirred clear of you and Carol. I shouldn't have suggested you make a move on your Natasha. It really isn't my business."

Steve laughed. "My Natasha seemed to think sticking her nose in my love life was her primary duty," he paused. "You don't have to avoid me unless it's too hard. I mean, you must miss your husband."

"Very much, but seeing you or not seeing you, I'm still going to miss my family. I never expected to have one of those, and I hate not being there. You and Carol talked about having children?"

"Oh no, way too soon for that. I don't even know if it's something she would want. Not sure I'd want it either. We just enjoy each other's company and it works for us," Steve replied as the two walked into the common area. "How did your Steve know he wanted to start a family?"

"Well, it wasn't something we talked about. I mean we fell in love and got married less than four months later, but I couldn't have children so we were just content to do our jobs then we learned about Dr. Cho's cradle and that was it. We knew we could handle anything as long as we had each other, so we figured why not take the miracle we were offered," Natasha paused. "That probably sound silly to you."

"No, it doesn't. It actually sounds very natural, like you just went from one step to the next. It must have just felt right," Steve said softly.

"Nothing ever felt more right in my life," Natasha frowned. "And, this is why I need to go back to avoiding you. I'm really tempted to meddle again. I just, well, I can remember how alone I was before Steve. I hate being in a reality where my counterpart is still that lonely."

"Nat has me, Clint, the team. She's anything but lonely, I promise. She's the one who really keeps us in check. She's the one who makes sure everyone keeps up with their training. She mothers Wanda, consoles Bucky, and keeps Tony humble. Honestly, I'm not sure she ever takes time for herself."

Natasha frowned slightly. "It was nice talking to you, Steve, but I promised I would spar with Sam. He's working on a new maneuver and he needs to get it down." She started to walk away then turned around. "It's really not that hard to be lonely in a crowd. Of all people, the man out of time should understand that."

Once she was gone, Steve sat down. Was his Nat lonely? He tried to think back to their past conversations. She never seemed lonely. It didn't take long for his thoughts to drift back to when he and Carol first started dating.

It was a Friday night, his and Nat's weekly movie night, and Carol had just gotten back from a trip with Tony. They'd gone to pick up a few supplies from Wakanda that were crucial to their plans to defeat Thanos. He was about to head to Nat's room to watch a movie when Carol got back and wanted to spend some time with him, so he went to tell Nat he needed to postpone their plans.

"Of course," she had told him. "You've got a girlfriend now, Steve. She's the one who should be making you watch these sappy movies not me." She handed him the movies she had selected and told him to go catch Carol up on Earth history.

They never had another movie night. They still spent a lot of time together during the day, but no more nights eating popcorn and hanging out on her couch. He didn't even realize how much he missed it until she was gone. Now, he would give anything for a B-rated scifi movie and Natasha sitting beside him. That was what natural felt like.

What Steve had with Carol was more sensual, of course. He and Nat didn't fool around. It would have been crossing the invisible line between them, but movie night was still special and he had given it up.

Steve was still lost in his thoughts when Bruce came into the room and started the coffee pot. "You okay, Steve? You look a little lost."

"I was just thinking about Nat," Steve replied honestly. "Do you think our Nat was happy?"

"That's a loaded question," Bruce sighed, "and one I'm definitely not qualified to answer."

"Why didn't you and Nat try to make it work after you came back?"

"We did, well, I did. She just didn't really have room in her life for me. Two years is a long time. I guess her feelings had changed. She said I needed to focus on Thanos and-" Bruce stopped. "This really isn't my place."

"Bruce, please."

"She felt like you were in to dark of a place for her to abandon you, and she thought us being together might make it harder for her to keep you from wallowing in what we lost," Bruce admitted. "I assumed it was her way of letting me down easy without admitting she had moved on with you. I didn't realize you were just friends until she set you up with Carol, and, by that point, I really was busy focusing on Thanos."

"And, when she gets back?" Steve asked.

"I guess that's going to depend on you. I'm not naïve enough to think Natasha hanging out in a reality where she's your wife is going to help my case much. But, to be clear, my feelings for her haven't changed. If she is willing to give me a second chance, I will take it."

Steve just nodded. "And, you would rather I stay out of the way."

"That wouldn't hurt my feelings any, but I'd still have to deal with the same thing I had to deal with the first time. I can't compete with you in her mind. To her, you're the perfect super soldier, and she and I are just monsters searching for redemption."

"You're not monsters, Bruce."

"I know that now. The question is, does she?"

 **Alternate Reality (Where our Natasha is Trapped)**

Natasha and Carol were enjoying a cup of coffee while the twins slept. "Thanks for staying over for a few nights. It would have been awkward with Bucky on his mission," Natasha said as she put a little butter on her toast.

"You'd have been fine," Carol replied, "but it's been fun."

"Do you think you want kids?" Natasha asked.

"Me? No, thank you. I mean, the twins are great, but I don't really think the white picket fence would suit me. But, I have a feeling you weren't asking about me as much as you were asking about my counterpart in your reality."

Natasha shrugged. "It's just, well, this Steve is so good with his kids, and my you is his girlfriend. I was just wondering if my Steve might still get his chance at a family."

"Hmm, let me think about this for a second. If I were the one with Cap, could I do the whole diapers and late nights thing?" Carol paused a moment and Natasha waited for her answer. "Honestly, I don't know. I'm not sure even Cho's cradle could deal with my Kree DNA, and I've seen the sacrifices Steve and our Natasha made to make this work. I don't think I'd want to have to make some of those choices. Your Carol might be different, but I doubt it."

"It's none of my business anyway. As long as they are happy, I guess that's what matters, right?"

"I think you three are going to need to deal with this when you get home," Carol replied. "You've seen a glimpse of the life you could have had, and it's going to change some of your perspectives. If our Nat is in your reality, and I really hope she is because we need her back soon, your Steve and Carol are seeing a little glimpse of what could have been, too. She's probably going to feel threatened when you come back."

"I know," Natasha replied. "She's a friend. I set them up. I would never try to take him away."

"But, I get the feeling you wouldn't exactly be heartbroken if things didn't work out between them."

Natasha winced. "I don't know. Steve deserves to be happy, and she makes him happy."

"If he's realizing the same things you are, he won't be happy with her for long. And, she won't be very happy either. I would like to believe I'm a strong enough person to move on and accept defeat gracefully, but good luck."

"Why are we even having this conversation?" Natasha asked.

Carol laughed. "No idea. I'm just glad this is my reality and I won't be the one dealing with the fallout."

Steve walked into the kitchen as Natasha and Carol laughed. "Tony called. The Pyms and Shuri think they've got this figured out. We need to go to the Compound. You are going home."

They quickly got the babies ready and rushed to the compound. Tony explained the process and equipped Natasha's quantum suit with the device they designed.

"This one is for our Red. It's marked with the, for lack of a better word, address for this reality. Just fit it into her suit and she can come home," Tony said as he handed her a second device.

"Thank you for everything, Tony," Natasha replied.

Tony looked around the room. "We can do this whenever your ready. Do you guys need a minute?" he asked, gesturing to Natasha and Steve.

"Please," Steve replied, and everyone left the room. Steve took a locket out of his pocket. "I got you a gift. It's a thank you for being so good to my kids. I think Nat would approve." He put the locket around her neck and opened it. One side had a picture of James. The other had a picture of Sarah. "Just something to remember them by."

Natasha looked at the pictures and smiled. "Thank you, Steve. I'll treasure it. They are amazing kids. You guys have done a great job."

"Didn't realize how lucky we were until you showed up. Maybe this locket will bring you some of the same kind of luck. Talk to him. I promise there is no way he's as happy as I am. Give yourselves a chance."

Natasha nodded slightly and hugged Steve. "I'll definitely think about it."

"Good. Now, let's get you home. I really need my wife back," Steve replied.


	5. Chapter 5

Natasha opened her eyes as she exited the portal. The portal was in the lab at the Compound-the same location it had been in since before their mission to defeat Thanos. That was a good sign. The first person she saw was Bruce. He was working on a device that looked suspiciously like the one that got her home, and it made her smile.

"You're on the right track," she teased when he turned and stared at her, "but if that's for me, I'm covered."

Bruce was hugging her a second later. "Is it really you? Tell me something that will just prove we have our you back, please."

Natasha hugged him back briefly and went through her story, and he caught her up on things in her own reality. "We need to get the others. Natasha's family is waiting, and she's missed enough time," Natasha said after they were certain she was home.

Her alternate was the first to enter the room with Sam, Bucky, Tony, Wanda, and Steve following closely behind. It wasn't as surreal as Natasha expected to come face to face with the woman whose life she had lived for the last two weeks. She just nodded at herself before accepting hugs from Wanda, Sam, Bucky, Tony, and, finally, Steve.

Steve held her the tightest and the longest before pulling away awkwardly. "Glad you found your way back to us, Nat. I was worried."

As he spoke, Natasha saw Carol enter the room. She pulled out of his embrace and smiled. "You should know better than to worry about me, Cap. Besides, I had some very motivated Avengers in the other reality who want their widow back," she finished. "Your reality defeated the threat, too. Your son is home. Everyone is except you, and Bruce is already outfitting your suit. You can go home now."

The other Natasha smiled back at her. "Thank you," she paused. "Do the kids know?"

"I filled in. Your people didn't want to upset the babies. I hope that's okay," Natasha replied, suddenly insecure. What if the other her thought she tried to move in on her family? "Bucky and Carol took turns staying at the house with us. I was just there for the kids' sake."

"I wasn't worried. I trust Steve, and I know how I would have handled the situation. Thank you for doing the same."

Natasha just nodded. "Bruce, is the device ready? We need to get a momma back to her children."

"Done," Bruce replied. "Whenever your ready."

Natasha hugged herself quickly and everyone said their goodbyes. Once her alternate was gone, Natasha looked over at Steve. Carol was right beside him. She felt a slight pang of regret, but quickly pushed it aside. She was home. This was normal. She only hoped things could get back to normal with her emotions quickly.

"Now that all's right with this reality, it's time to celebrate our victory. Party tonight," Tony said with a smile.

"Tonight doesn't work for us," Carol replied. "Three month anniversary, Steve and I have plans."

"We could reschedule our date for tomorrow," Steve suggested.

Natasha saw the look on Carol's face. That was definitely not the smartest response. She knew she needed to help him out. "As much as I would love to celebrate saving the universe, I am exhausted. Any chance we could party tomorrow night instead, Tony?"

Tony frowned slightly. "I guess one more day wouldn't hurt, but tomorrow night, no excuses."

"Tomorrow sounds great," Natasha agreed.

Natasha finally managed to slip away into her quarters after hugging the rest of the Avengers as they arrived. She was only there a few minutes when she heard a knock on her door. She opened it to find Steve on the other side. "Shouldn't you be getting ready for the big date?"

"I haven't seen you in two weeks. I think I can spare a few minutes before I get ready. Thought we should talk," Steve replied.

"Probably better to have this conversation in front of Carol, Steve. She's the one you need to be concerned about. We'll just reassure her that there's nothing going on and I'll keep my distance for a little while to prove it. This doesn't have to be a big deal."

"It feels like a big deal."

"It's just one way things could have gone. I could have ended up in a reality where I never defected or where I ended up with Tony. Being married to your alternate was one of the less traumatic options."

"You lived in his house with his kids for the last two weeks. It couldn't have been easy. If you need to talk, you know you can always talk to me. I'm just trying to be a good friend, Nat."

Natasha sighed. "Okay, if you want to have this conversation, we'll have it. Being there wasn't that bad. It was actually nice." She opened her locket and showed him the pictures. "This was a gift from the other you. This is James. They lost him in the snap. He's a daddy's boy through and through. Sarah," she pointed at the baby girl's picture, "is a mommy's baby. I'm actually relieved I was able to pull off pretending to be their mom. They didn't need the stress. They're just babies. All I could think about was getting their mother back to them."

"What about you? Weren't you anxious to get home to us?" Steve asked, staring at the pictures.

"Of course. I needed to know if we had succeeded. This is my reality. Half of it had been snapped out of existence. I wanted to come home and make sure we had gotten it right."

"So, that was the only reason you wanted to come home?"

"No, I missed everyone, too. It just wasn't quite as important as fixing that reality. I don't know why."

"You are too selfless for your own good. Are you happy? Is your life what you want it to be? I need to know."

"Steve, I'm fine. My life is way better than I ever would have expected and I am so much happier than I deserve. Do I see some areas that could use some improvement? I think so, but now that things are different, maybe I'm ready to make a few changes. I was actually thinking of taking a little time off."

"We just got you back. You can't leave. We'd miss you."

"It's been a really long time since I had a vacation. We spent two years fixing the Snap, and the two years before that we were on the run. Before that, we were busy training the team. I haven't really been on my own since just after D.C. You've got a pretty full team, Steve, you'll be fine."

"None of them are you, Nat, but I understand. You won't leave until after the party tomorrow?"

"Wouldn't dream of it," Natasha promised.

"And, you'll stay in touch?"

"Of course, I'm not running away. I'm just taking some time for myself. I have no intention of going off the grid. You, on the other hand, will have to go off the grid and hide from your girlfriend if you don't hurry up and get ready for your date. Three months means flowers, candy, and I think a nice piece of jewelry might be a good touch."

"No time for any of that now."

"Too bad I didn't get here a few days sooner. You are going to have to up your game, Rogers. Spring for a good bottle of wine and be attentive tonight. No talking about alternate realities. Focus on her."

"I'm not sure I can focus on anything but alternate realities right now," Steve replied.

"And, that's just proof I need to go for awhile. She makes you happy, Steve. Go remember that."

* * *

Steve went back to his room. His clothes for the night were out on his bed. Carol must have laid them out before going to get ready. It was a nice gesture, but it bugged him for some reason. Nat was the only person he really didn't mind choosing his wardrobe. That probably should have told him something sooner.

He quickly got ready and went to get Carol. That seemed odd, too, since she was usually in his room. Carol looked beautiful and he was smart enough to tell her so.

"Ready to go?" he asked after giving her a quick kiss.

"We could just stay here," Carol suggested seductively. "I could tell Friday to keep it quiet that we didn't leave and we could-" she wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him in for another kiss.

Steve pulled away. "You are all dressed up. We should keep our reservations," he said softly.

Carol nodded and smiled, so Steve figured he had covered well enough. The idea of being intimate with Carol with Natasha just down the hall suddenly didn't sit well with him. He really needed to get through tonight and do some thinking. Maybe Natasha's distance idea wasn't such a bad one.

Dinner went fine, and they went to see a show afterward. It was pretty late when they made it back to the compound. Steve was doing his best to be an attentive boyfriend, but he really wasn't in the mood for romance. He made an excuse to Carol about needing to get a good night's sleep and dropped her off at her quarters, quarters she rarely slept in anyway. The look on her face told him he was in trouble, but he really didn't have the energy to care.

Natasha's door opened as he passed by and Bruce walked out of her quarters. Steve nodded his direction, and Bruce nodded back and fell into step with him.

"Have a good date?" Bruce asked.

"It was fine," Steve replied. "Have a good visit?"

"Yeah, we just watched a movie after dinner. It was nice."

Steve nodded. Grateful to be at his own door, he said goodnight to Bruce and walked inside. Sleep didn't come easy. He couldn't quit thinking about how much he would have preferred a movie night with Natasha to dinner with Carol. This was definitely not how he should be feeling, and he hated it.

When Steve walked into the common area the next morning, Natasha was sitting at the table with Wanda and Sam. Sam was holding Natasha's locket and smiling. "I still don't get why they named the boy after Barnes and not me, but those are some seriously cute kids. I just can't see you guys as parents though."

Wanda swatted Sam and grabbed the locket. "I can see it. I'm sure our Steve and Natasha would be wonderful parents." As she finished she saw Steve and immediately put the locket back into Natasha's hands. "Good morning, Cap."

Natasha turned and he smiled at her softly. "You're up early, Steve. I figured you guys might need to sleep in this morning. We were just about to go to the gym, so Sam could show me what he's been working on and I can kick his rear."

Wanda chuckled, and Sam said, "Hey, I'm getting it down. I'll have you know, I surprised the other you yesterday."

"He actually did," Wanda replied. "You might be surprised."

Steve poured a cup of orange juice and joined them. "Did you tell the others your plans?" he asked, suddenly in an even more sullen mood, "or just Bruce?"

Natasha glared at him briefly. "Bruce knows, but I wanted to tell the others tonight when everyone was together."

"What plans?" Wanda asked. Her voice sounded panicked, so Steve assumed she was trying to read their auras without meddling too deep into their minds.

"I just decided to take a short vacation. That's all," Natasha informed her.

"But, you just got here," Wanda complained.

"True, but it's been awhile since I've had any real time off. I want to spend some time at the farm, just reassure myself Lila and Nathaniel are really back, you know. For those of us who weren't snapped out of existence, it's been a rough few years. I missed them. I missed you guys, too. That's why I plan on kicking your butts so soundly today."

"Then you'll be back as soon as you get to spend some time with the kids?" Wanda asked.

"I thought I might take a trip afterward, maybe soak up some sun and enjoy the fact that the world currently doesn't need saving."

"You're running away," Wanda replied angrily.

"Wanda, if Widow needs a little downtime-" Sam began.

"This isn't about downtime. This is about that locket, Sam. Steve, tell her she can't go."

"Wanda, I don't have the right to stop her," Steve replied. "Nobody deserves a break more than Nat."

Wanda huffed and left the room. "I'll get Vision to talk to her. Sorry, Widow," Sam whispered as he left the room.

"What the hell was that about?" Natasha asked once they were alone. "That's not how I wanted that to go down, and you know it."

"How would I know how you wanted it to go? You didn't tell me it was a secret. Maybe you told Bruce and you're getting us confused."

"So, now you're mad at me for some unknown reason and you want to throw up Bruce? You can't do this, Steve. You don't get to be jealous. You have a girlfriend, remember? And, we were never together. Stop blaming me for needing time."

"Would we be together if I'd asked you to go with me?" Steve asked, getting very close to her face as he spoke.

"You didn't ask, so I guess we'll never know. I'm going to try and salvage this mess you made with Wanda and hopefully get a little training done. Go bother Carol and leave me alone," Natasha commanded before walking away. She turned back to face him briefly from the door. "I didn't want this to be complicated, Steve. I thought you understood that yesterday."

"I saw Bruce leaving your room last night. Is he one of the changes you plan on making? Because I can't stand by and watch you get your heart broken again.

"It wasn't his fault. You know that. He's been helping us right this wrong for the last two years. You seriously are jealous. This is unbelievable, Steve. Let it go."

"Like you have? The locket with our children's pictures is hanging around your neck, Nat. Do you really think it's the right time to go back to your ex?"

"They aren't our children, Steve," she replied and she was gone.


	6. Chapter 6

Natasha finally managed to talk to Wanda and spar a little with Sam, but she was still furious with Steve when it was time to dress for the party. How dare he make things so difficult? Never once had she made him feel bad for spending time with Carol. She had encouraged him to be a good boyfriend. If anything, she had pushed him away so he couldn't use her as a crutch to avoid getting more involved with Carol.

Natasha sucked in a breath as another thought occurred to her. Had she pushed Steve toward Carol to avoid the intimacy that had developed between them? Being on the run with Sam and Wanda for so long had caused the four of them to become an odd little family, and that was fine because there were four of them. But, after the snap, things were so different. Steve leaned on Natasha for everything, and it was nice but she was afraid they were getting too close. Carol's crush had seemed like the perfect opportunity to give Steve a chance at real happiness and protect them from ending up accidentally involved with each other.

"Great, there's probably a reality out there where the Snap brought us together, too," she thought as she touched up her lipstick.

Bruce stopped by her quarters to pick her up like they'd agreed. "Mind if I come in for a minute before we go to the party?"

"Sure, I'm in no rush," Natasha replied as she opened the door a little wider.

"I have something I'd like to ask, and I'm a little afraid I won't like the answer. But, at the risk of someday ending up stuck in a reality where I didn't-"

"Bruce, just ask your question," Natasha replied calmly.

"Okay, here goes. Any chance you'll let me tag along on this trip of yours?" Bruce asked, his words rushing together in nervousness.

* * *

Steve kept scanning the room looking for Natasha. She was late. He noticed Bruce wasn't around either and it really irritated him. He needed to apologize before she left, and he probably needed to have a long talk with Carol soon, too.

Steve looked to his left. Carol was talking to Bucky. She was really making an effort to get to know his best friend and he appreciated it, but he also knew he needed to be honest with himself and Carol. This relationship wasn't going anywhere. He couldn't keep leading her on.

"Any chance we could get out of here and talk?" Steve asked, and Carol nodded.

They went to the conference room and Steve closed the door. "I have a feeling you chose this room because it was neutral ground," Carol said somberly.

"I'm so sorry," Steve began, "These last few months have been good-"

"Just not good enough," Carol finished. "I wish I could blame all of this on the alternate reality disaster, but it's always felt like I was the one who was more invested. I had Captain America posters on my wall. It's one of the memories I've recovered since I came here.

"When I met Nick years ago, I was very confused. I'd figured out I had ties to Earth, but my jumbled memories were hard to understand. I've recovered so many, but some are just out of reach. The day I met you, I remembered the posters and my little girl crush. When we started seeing each other, the universe was in shambles. Maybe neither of us were in the right frame of mind to start anything."

"I never wanted to hurt you," Steve replied.

"I know, but you did. I'm going to need some time. Maybe some day we can be friends, but for now, I don't think I can be here."

"Carol, you don't have to leave. This is my fault."

"Just do me a favor and stay away from your quarters for a little bit. I need to get my things. Maybe you should go talk to her," Carol said softly. "Part of me always knew it should have been her instead of me, but that doesn't make this any easier."

Carol walked out of the room and Steve sat on the conference table for a few minutes. He felt awful. He'd managed to hurt the two most important women in his life in the last ten hours.

When he finally got his courage up to return to the party and look for Natasha, she had already come and gone. He sat down with Bucky and Sam and tried to act normal. Carol needed time to get her things out of his quarters, and he didn't want to ruin anybody else's night.

The coffee pot hadn't been started when Steve walked into the common area the next morning. Steve frowned. Bruce was always up early and coffee was the first thing he made. Steve hadn't seen Bruce the night before either, so he assumed Bruce must have been with her. He didn't want to think about Bruce with Natasha, so he opened the refrigerator and poured himself a glass of juice.

Sam walked in a few minutes later. "Seriously, Cap, no coffee?"

"Bruce usually handles it," Steve replied, with a little more bite than he intended.

"Well, since he's gone, somebody else is going to have to pick up the slack," Sam said as he started the coffee maker. "Carol took off this morning, too, but I'm guessing you knew that." Steve gave a shrug. "And, Widow's on her little vacation-"

"Nat's already gone?" Steve asked, suddenly concerned.

"Said she was leaving first thing this morning. I hope you two got over your little spat before she left, but, by your reaction, I'm guessing you didn't talk."

Steve shook his head. "So, Bruce decided to go with Nat?" he asked.

"Bruce left last night. Said he needed to go check on some things in South America. Interesting that you assumed he was with Nat and don't seem the least bit concerned that your girlfriend left the planet."

"Carol and I-"

"Oh, I figured," Sam smiled. "Got to admit, when you filled us in on the missing two years, I did not expect you to have a girlfriend who wasn't Widow."

"Things just happened, I guess. Are you sure Bruce wasn't going to meet up with Nat?"

"Cap, I can't answer that, but if you don't go after her, you're going to regret it. If it's not Bruce, it'll be somebody else."

"What about the team?" Steve asked.

"I think we can manage. The longer we talk about this, the more likely some of the others are going to show up and they'll be on my side. Go get your girl, Cap. Don't let Natasha run away."

Steve nodded. "You're in charge. I'm really not sure when I'll be back."

"We'll manage," Sam assures him. "Oh, I already booked your flight. Pack fast. Flight leaves in two hours."

"You already booked my flight?"

"I had a hunch," Sam smirked. "Don't blow it, Cap."

* * *

Natasha was sitting under her favorite maple tree on the farm reading a book with Lila when a car pulled into the yard. "Was your dad expecting someone?" she asked Lila. The girl shook her head. "Run to the house and tell your dad we have company."

Lila ran off toward the house, and Natasha did a quick check of her widow's bites before walking toward the car. It was obviously a rental, and that could mean trouble. She was within range when the driver's side door opened. She put her wrist up and kept her eyes on the car until the driver stepped out.

"Steve, what are you doing here?" she asked, not bothering to lower her arm.

"I came to see you," he replied. "Any chance you could lower your weapon so we could talk?"

"I think we talked enough yesterday," she sighed, but she did lower her arm. "You know Clint doesn't like unannounced guests."

"I know, but I was a little afraid you wouldn't stick around if you knew I was coming. I just want to apologize. Is that okay?" he asked.

"It was just an argument, Steve. You didn't have to come all this way."

Steve took a few steps as she spoke and he was standing right in front of her. "Maybe I didn't want to take that chance. I was in a bad mood yesterday, and I took it out on you. I was jealous."

"That, you made clear," Natasha replied coolly.

"I didn't have any right to be upset about you spending time with Banner when I was with Carol, but the idea of you with anyone really burns me up, Nat."

"So far, this apology kind of stinks, Rogers."

"I know. I'm not very good at this. If I were talking to any other woman, you'd tell me what to say to make it better. I'm working without a net, Nat. I just wanted to tell you I'm sorry about yesterday. I shouldn't have said anything about you spending time with Banner, and I definitely shouldn't of said anything to Wanda or Sam about you leaving."

"Is that all?"

"Um, I guess I should apologize about the locket, too."

"Yes, you should, but I don't like being mad at you so I'm going to let you off the hook."

"Good," Steve replied, "because I really don't like it when you're mad at me. I wanted to apologize last night, but you left the party before I got back. And, Bruce wasn't there. I was afraid I'd interrupt something I really didn't want to see."

"And, we're back to jealousy," Natasha sighed. "If you're going to have an issue with every man who shows an interest in me, we are going to have a real problem."

"Yeah, I'll work on that."

"Does your girlfriend know you're here?"

"Not my girl anymore and no, but she took off in her little ship this morning for parts. She's probably not even in this galaxy by now," Steve replied.

"Oh, Steve, what have you done? We should go find Tony. The ship we used to rescue him a few years ago might need some modifications but-"

"Nat, she left so she didn't have to watch me move on. I'm the one who ended things."

"But, you were just confused. This whole mess with the other reality has fogged your judgement. We can fix-"

"Oh, I'm planning on fixing a few things. But, first, there's something I need to know." Natasha just looked at Steve. "Are you meeting Banner when you leave here?"

"Bruce asked if he could go with me, said he didn't want to one day wind up in a reality where he asked and we ended up together," Natasha paused. "I said no. I realized I didn't want to live in a reality where I was with him."

Steve smiled. "That's good. I don't think I could live in a reality where you were with him either. I think I'd like to live in the reality you just came from."

"Sorry, Rogers, that reality split off years ago."

"Maybe we could fix this one."

"And, how do you propose we do that?"

"Nat, are you really going to make me ask?"

"You not asking go us into this mess, Steve, so I'm absolutely going to make you ask," Natasha smirked.

"Nat, I don't really want to go home without you, and I know you need a vacation. Would you please let me tag along? Can we see where this could go?"

"You're getting better. Steve, that was almost smooth."

"Is that a yes?"

Natasha nodded, and Steve pulled her into her arms and kissed her. "We need to take this slow. No messing this up, okay?"

Steve smiled. "I can do slow," Steve promised.


	7. Chapter 7

Natasha sat down on the bed in her room. She could hear the shower going, but she knew Steve was to much of a soldier to take a long one. She didn't expect this day to end with Steve in her room, but something felt right about him being with her.

Steve stepped into the room in his pajamas with a shy smile on his face. "I know we agreed on slow, so if you want me to sleep in the other-"

"Steve, I said slow not backwards. We've shared smaller beds than this one," Natasha smirked. "Remember Hong Kong?"

Steve smiled. "Sam was dropping off Wanda for her first visit with Vision after the Accords. It wasn't exactly 5 star, was it?"

"We made it work. It was actually nice to have a little time with just you," she paused. "Why didn't we get together while we were on the run? We were so close. Maybe we are more different from the other us than we thought."

Steve sat beside her, put a hand gently on her chin, and tilted her face so that she was looking into his eyes. "We aren't that different. I cared more than I probably should have, but I was broken. I didn't have anything to offer. We were on the run, and it was my fault. I was so grateful you were with me, but I didn't feel worthy of you."

"And, now?"

"It helps that we just saved the universe. I needed to make peace with Tony, too. I'm not the man who went off with Sam and didn't ask you to come along. I won't deny that this would be a lot easier if we had fallen in love back then, but I'm not the man you were on the run with either. I guess I'm somewhere in the middle, but I know one thing. If there's a chance I can have you, I'm going to do everything in my power to make it happen."

Natasha kissed Steve on the cheek. "Good answer, soldier." She reached up to take her locket off so she could go to bed, but Steve moved her hands away and removed it himself.

Natasha watched as Steve slowly opened the locket and placed his index finger gently on each picture. "Tell me about them, please."

Natasha felt a lump forming in her throat. "They're perfect," she whispered, "and so smart. Sarah loves to count and sing her ABC's. She's a natural dancer, and she has this little stuffed dog from Paw Patrol that she loves to carry around. She makes it bark, and it's the sweetest little sound you could ever hear. James is energetic. He's a real live-wire. Child proofing was pointless, because he can get past any cabinet lock as if it's not even there. He has this little toy shield that looks just like yours and goes around the house throwing it then running to retrieve it."

"You miss them."

"I do. It would be hard not to miss them. Playing mom was the hardest role I ever had to play, because it didn't feel like I was pretending. It felt real."

"And, the other me? Do you miss him, too?"

"That's a loaded question."

"Sorry, you don't have to answer."

"I don't mind. It was odd at first. Nothing happened between us. We were just partners. He missed his wife. I missed you, all of you," she stopped and looked away, "but mostly you. I was jealous of the other me. That probably sounds petty, but she had this perfect little family. They'd been on the run, too, and I know it had to be hard juggling babies, chasing terrorists, and not getting caught by the authorities. But, the way Steve talked about it made it sound almost magical. I think I realized I'd lost something I never knew I wanted. I know that seems a little crazy."

"Actually, it sounds kind of nice. I'm sorry I can't give you back everything we lost by not getting together sooner. Even if things were to work out between us, even if we had children, they wouldn't be them."

"I know."

"But, maybe we can still find some happiness and even someday start a family of our own," Steve added.

"You think you'd want that?"

"With you, yes. With anyone else, not a chance. You're the only partner I would ever trust enough to take on a crazy mission like parenthood."

Natasha laughed. She hadn't realized how much she needed to talk about her time in the other reality until she talked to Steve. As she cuddled into his embrace to go to sleep, she felt something she hadn't felt since she was a small child. She felt hope.

They spent the next few days with Clint, Laura, and the kids. The only time they were really alone was when they were in their room, and that was usually only at bedtime. Once Natasha was satisfied that she had spent enough time with the family, she pulled out her laptop and had Steve sit beside her on the bed.

"We need a destination, Steve."

Steve leaned in close, so he could look at the screen. Natasha had already pulled up a travel agency's website. "Nowhere cold," he grinned.

"Warm works, but, not too warm, I look terrible in bikinis."

"You couldn't look terrible in anything," Steve whispered in her ear before nibbling gently on the pulse point on her neck. Natasha turned and kissed him. They spent several minutes exploring each other's lips before Steve pulled away. "Not here. I want to do this right, and it would be so easy to get carried away. We should wait until we get where we're going."

Natasha was still slightly breathless. "Adding king size bed to the filter," she paused and gave him a sensual grin, "and jacuzzi."

"You're killing me, Nat," Steve groaned, forcing himself to sit up straighter. Tell me a place you've never been, a place you never had a mission."

Natasha had to think for a moment before she could answer. "I've been a lot of places, but I've never really gotten to just enjoy any of them. I always wanted to spend some time in the mountains. Does that sound boring?"

"Mountains it is, U.S. or-"

"The States. Let's go to the Smoky Mountains. We could find a little mountain resort and just relax."

It didn't take long for them to find what they were looking for and soon after they were saying their goodbyes to the Barton clan. They decided to drive Steve's rental across country and managed to get in eleven hours of driving on the first day. True to her word, Natasha found them a room with a jacuzzi tub and a king size bed for their first night on the road.

Steve insisted on carrying Natasha over the threshold of their suite, and Natasha happily let him. He placed her carefully on the bed and looked her in the eyes. "Once we cross this line, there's no going back. Are you sure?"

"Never been more sure of anything in my life," Natasha replied, pulling him into a deep kiss.

By morning, Natasha was sure of two things. She was desperately in love with Steve Rogers and she was never going to let him go.

 **Short chapter, but we are winding down. Not much more to this story. Thanks for reading.**


	8. Chapter 8

Steve and Natasha didn't bother driving the rest of the way to the mountains the next day. Instead, they stayed pretty close to their hotel and just enjoyed their new found intimacy. Being with Natasha felt normal. Steve realized all the little things Carol did, like moving things into his room and showing up unannounced, had only bothered him because she wasn't the one who he wanted doing those things.

When Natasha pulled out his t-shirt to sleep in, instead of it annoying him, it made him feel proud. When she would cuddle closer to him in the night because the room got chilly, he was happy to pull her in even closer and share body heat. Everything about being with Natasha felt right, so by their seventh night at the hotel, Steve felt ready to do something crazy. He just hoped it wasn't too much too soon.

Steve pulled out the chair for Natasha at the hotel's restaurant. "Aren't you the perfect gentleman tonight?" she teased.

"What no fossil joke?"

"I think you've more than convinced me you're no fossil this week," she winked suggestively. "Way too much stamina."

Steve felt his ear getting red, so he decided to go for a diversion. He took her hand in his and squeezed it gently. "This week has been the best week of my life. I'm so happy you let me come with you, that you gave us a chance."

Natasha smiled. "We may not have made it to our destination, but it has been amazing."

"I want it to stay amazing," Steve replied. "I don't think I could go back to sleeping without you, so I was thinking maybe we should keep sleeping beside each other even after we go home. Is it too soon to ask you to move in with me?"

"Considering Carol literally just moved out of your room, I don't think I want to move in," she paused, "but I happen to have a perfectly good room just down the hall. You could move in with me."

Steve smiled. "I think I could live with that compromise for now."

"For now?" Natasha raised an eyebrow.

"For now," Steve repeated. "What I was actually thinking was that we could buy a house near the compound and move in there."

"You want to buy a house with me?"

"I do. I know it's a little soon, but, in some ways, it's actually a little late. I mean, I know I want to be with you and I'm not talking about just right now. I'm all in. And, before you ask, I was never all in with Carol. She just sort of moved in and I didn't say anything because I didn't want to upset her. It really is early. You probably need-"

"Steve, would you just stop already? I'm all in, too. I would love to get a house with you."

"You would?"

"I would, and, in the meantime, you can move as much of your stuff into my room as you want, because you won't be sleeping anywhere else."

Steve grinned. "I think I can live with that."

"Good, because I think I'd like to go home now. This has been amazing, but I'm ready to start our life together with our people."

"That sounds good to me."

When they got back to the hotel, Steve watched as Natasha pulled up real estate listings. He heard her gasp as she clicked on one. "Remember this house?" she asked.

"I do. I can't believe it's for sale again. That's the one I thought about buying a few years ago," Steve replied.

"It's also the one the other us actually bought," Natasha said softly.

Steve smiled. "I guess we're done looking at real estate. We'll make an offer as soon as we get home if you want."

"I think I do. It's close to the compound, and it seems like home already. I know it'll be different without the twins but-"

"It'll be ours. It will be perfect."

* * *

Carol frowned as she neared Earth's atmosphere. This was the last place she wanted to be right now, but she needed the Avengers and Earth needed to be warned. If stopping the silver surfer from marking more planets for Galactus's destruction meant she had to face what she lost, so be it.

She radioed the Compound, an Sam gave her the go ahead to land. As soon as she was in the building, she was met by Sam, Bucky, Wanda, and Vision.

"Where's everybody else?" she asked. "This is big. We're going to need them."

Wanda nodded. "We're the only ones here right now, but I can go make some calls and assemble the team if I need to," Wanda looked Sam's direction for confirmation. He nodded and she left the room.

"So you're in charge?" Carol asked, even though it was more rhetorical than anything.

"Temporarily,' Sam replied, taking the seat at the head of the table. "I'd say it's good to have you back, but since this isn't a social call-"

"We have a big problem," Carol replied.

"Besides the very obvious wound on your side," Bucky replied, pointing to the injury she had received a few hours earlier. "You need to be in medical."

"Soon, but first I have to tell you what's coming. There's a new threat. Galactus is consuming entire planets, and Earth is on the list to be next. Has it started yet?"

"Has what started? Carol, you don't look so good. We need to get you treated," Sam demanded.

"Too late for that, Sam. I'm dying. My run in with the Silver Surfer and Galactus was probably my last. The weapon they used to pierce my side was designed to eat through anything. My wound is festering, eating me alive. Let me tell you everything while I still can."

"We're listening," Sam assured her as Bucky helped her get settled into a seat.

"In just a matter of days, maybe less, Earth will have a visitor. He goes by the title Silver Surfer and he's as much a victim of Galactus as we are going to be if we don't stop him. His job is to bore multiple holes in the planet preparing it for Galactus. Once the surfer finishes his work, it's too late. Everything will be destroyed." Carol pulled out a disc and handed it to Vision. "This will tell you everything you need to know to stop him. He gave it to me himself. He wants to help, but he can't. His only request is that we kill him before he's used to destroy another planet."

Carol started to feel woozy and leaned back in the chair. "We'll do what has to be done, Carol. You need to rest. We'll get Cho to look at your wound. Maybe she can help. Is there anything else we can do?"

"Just one thing, I need to talk to Steve and Natasha. I'd like to make peace with them before-"

"None of that talk," Sam replied, taking her hand, "I'll get them for you, but you aren't dying on us."

* * *

Natasha was repacking her suitcase when her phone rang. It was Wanda. Since Wanda called every few days to check in, she didn't think much about it.

"Morning, Wanda," Natasha said as she answered.

"We have a problem. Carol's back. She send to assemble the Avengers."

"What's going on?"

"I don't have all the details. Sam is getting those now, but, Carol is injured. Whatever is coming is very bad. I can feel it," Wanda replied.

"On our way. Get the others to meet us there."

Steve came in with breakfast about the time Natasha hung up the phone. "Good thing we were ready to go home. Vacation's over. Carol's back and she brought bad news. Something big is coming."

Steve frowned and nodded. "Okay, guess we better go home."

"One more thing, Steve, Carol is injured. Wanda's concerned. Maybe we should keep our relationship between us until we get through this."

"Pretty sure we won't be able to do that, but it'll be okay. Carol knew this was probably coming. If she's here and there's a threat, us being together will be the least important thing on her mind."

"You sure that's how you want to play this?" Natasha asked.

"Positive. I love you. I'm not going to deny it. Let's go take care of this threat and get started with our life together."

Natasha reached up and pulled Steve into a kiss. "I love you, too. Whatever happens, that's not going to change."

 **Okay, I thought we were almost done then I had this itsy bitsy idea. We have a few chapters left in this one after all. Time for Steve and Nat to see how they work as a couple when they are avenging. Is Carol's wound really fatal? Why does she want to talk to Steve and Natasha? If all the Avengers are returning, what will Bruce think about their change in relationship status? And, maybe most importantly, can they stop the Silver Surfer, and in turn Galactus, from destroying the world?**


	9. Chapter 9

Steve and Natasha walked into the medical bay after arriving at the compound and getting briefed by the others. Steve walked slightly ahead of Natasha as they entered the room.

"You came," Carol said in a weak voice.

"Of course, we came," Steve replied, "you needed us."

"Pretty sure the world needs you more. I don't have a lot of time left," Carol said sadly.

"With your Kree DNA, surely the healing properties will kick in soon. You'll be fine," Steve tried to assure her.

"Not this time, Steve," Carol said softly. "I just wanted to make sure we were okay before-" She paused. "You and Natasha were my friends before we got together, and I shouldn't have left angry. I'm sorry."

"No, I'm sorry, Carol. I made a lot of mistakes. I let things move too fast between us. You got hurt."

"I don't regret it," Carol replied, ""and, while I wish things had ended differently, I'm not sorry we took a chance." She looked past Steve towards Natasha. "I hope you're happy together. You deserve a win."

"Carol-" Natasha began.

"Don't apologize. I know you didn't want to hurt me. You love him. He loves you. Don't let guilt stop anything you might have started. Just do one thing for me, okay?"

"Anything," Natasha promised.

"Save the world and avenge me," Carol replied.

"Consider it done," Natasha promised.

They left Carol to rest and went back to the control room. Tony was looking at a monitor.

"We've got incoming. Looks like Seattle is the first target. Let's get this guy," Tony declared.

The next several hours were extremely busy for the Avengers. Tony's prediction of Seattle being the target turned out to be right on the money. Steve made sure Natasha was on his team as they separated into groups and they put their plan into action. He, Natasha, and Bucky soon found themselves face to face with the Silver Surfer.

"We don't want to kill you. Join us," Steve demanded, but the Silver Surfer only sighed. "Give me another option."

"I have none. You must kill me and destroy my board. I can't stop. My fate is sealed, but I do not hold you responsible for what you must do," the Silver Surfer replied.

Steve hesitated. He knew the Silver Surfer was a pawn, and killing an innocent man was not his style. "We can help you."

"You cam help me by stopping my torment," the Silver Surfer replied. "Do you need more incentive than just the fate of your world?" the Silver Surfer grabbed Natasha and started to choke her. "Does this make it easier? Kill me now or she dies."

Steve lept at the Surfer and killed him with his bare hands before even stopping to think. Natasha coughed slightly as Bucky helped her up then she grabbed Steve's hand, which was still attached to the corpse.

"It's over, soldier. You did it. Come on. We need to see if Tony and Bruce were able to get the bomb to Galactus."

Steve nodded. He carefully closed the Silver Surfer's eyes and looked sadly at Natasha. "I hesitated and he could have killed-"

"But, he didn't. You gave him a choice. He made the wrong one. It's done. It's okay," Natasha assured him, her voice still hoarse. Steve carefully checked Natasha's neck. "I'm fine, Steve. We need to check in."

It didn't take long for them to learn that the others had also been successful. They got back to the compound as quickly as they could, and Steve immediately headed for the medical bay. Dr. Cho met him at the door.

"She's gone, but I was able to tell her you were successful before she passed. She wanted me to thank you for completing the mission," Dr. Cho said softly.

Steve nodded and headed for his quarters. Natasha was inside packing him a bag. "I had a feeling you'd come this direction. Come on, soldier. Your bag is packed. You're coming with me."

Steve followed her wordlessly to her quarters and started to sit down. "Don't even think about sitting, Steve. Hit the showers. Clean the battle off then we'll talk," Natasha ordered.

Steve quickly showered then waited while Natasha did the same. Once they were both clean, she led him to her bed and crawled in beside him.

"I'm sorry Carol's gone," she whispered. "It's okay to be upset. I promise, I won't be jealous. You cared about her. That takes nothing away from how you feel about me. You can grieve, Steve."

Natasha's words were all it took for Steve to finally break down. She held him close while he cried, soothing him with gentle caresses. He wasn't sure how long he cried, but he did feel slightly better when he was finished.

"I just feel so responsible for her death," Steve finally said. "She left because of me, because I finally realized how I felt about you. She shouldn't have been out there alone."

"But, if she hadn't faced the Silver Surfer, we would have had no warning. We also wouldn't have had a way to defeat Galactus. She saved this world and who knows how many others."

"She did save us," Steve agreed then the thought hit him. "Nat, if we had been together since D.C., Carol wouldn't have left."

Natasha sat up, throwing on her shoes, as Steve did the same. "We've got to warn them. The other reality won't have a warning, because their Carol-"

"Wasn't trying to get away from us," Steve finished. "Let's go."

Natasha took the lead as they raced to the lab. "Friday, tell the others to meet us in the lab now, and tell Tony to bring the disk."

"Yes, Agent Romanoff," Friday replied.

Natasha immediately started suiting up. "I've got to warn them," she told Steve.

"Let me go with you," Steve replied.

"Only one device and it's already in my suit, Steve. It has to be me, but I'll be back."

Steve pulled her into his arms and kissed her as the others started to arrive. "Come back to me. Just give them the warning and directions and come home immediately."

"I'll be back before you know it," she promised.

Within just a few minutes, Natasha was disappearing into the portal and Steve was standing beside it holding his breath.

 **The Other Reality**

Natasha's exit from the portal was much tougher than any previous trips through the Quantum Realm. The lab was empty, but she could hear noises coming from down the hallway. She immediately took off in their direction.

The first person she ran into was Carol and it was more than a little disconcerting under the circumstances. Carol hugged her.

"You shouldn't be here," Carol said quickly.

"It looks like I'm a little late for the party, but I've got your solution," Natasha replied, handing her the disk. "Our Carol sacrificed everything to get this and it saved our planet. It can save yours, too."

Carol sighed. "I'm not sure there's time. Come on. Let's get to the control room."

As they walked, Carol told her about the Silver Surfer's arrival. He had arrived a day earlier in this reality.

"Our Carol's encounter must have slowed him down in our reality," Natasha acknowledged as they entered the control room.

Tony, Bruce, Hank, and Janet were arguing over what they needed to do next. Wanda saw Natasha first and gasped.

"How is this possible?" Wanda asked.

"Look at the suit," Carol replied. "It's our other Natasha."

Natasha felt a warm flush roll over her at Carol's words. They considered her one of them now. As soon as that feeling passed, a feeling of panic came over her. "Where are Steve and Natasha?"

"We lost them," Carol said softly. "Sam's gone, too. But, you may have saved the rest of us."

Natasha wanted to scream, but she knew all too well that this was not the time to grieve. There would be time for that once this reality's earth was safe. She quickly filled them in on what had happened in her reality, and the scientists went to work.

Natasha didn't ask any questions, but she couldn't make herself leave. These were her friends, too, and she needed to be here. She didn't dare ask about the twins. She was terrified she wouldn't like the answer. Fifteen minutes later, when Tony and Wanda insisted she follow them back to the lab, she felt numb but she did as they requested.

"Will it work?" Wanda asked.

"It should. As long as the faraday cage stays in contact with Natasha's suit, it will go where she goes," Tony replied.

"What's going on?" Natasha asked. "We didn't need a faraday cage to defeat Galactus. You need to stick with the plan that worked."

"We will. It's not for us. It's for you," Tony replied.

"Excuse me?" Natasha asked.

"We lost Steve, Natasha, and Sam fighting this Silver Surfer. Hopefully what you've brought will help us stop Galactus, but saving the planet might be impossible. There are people rioting in the streets. So many have died-"

"What does any of this have to do with the faraday cage?"

"The children," Wanda replied. "You need to take them with you. They don't know their parents are gone. Even if we can save the planet, they shouldn't have to grow up without their parents."

Natasha took a deep breath in. "Can't you fix this the way we reversed the Snap. Now that you have the disc-"

"Don't think we won't try, but we're in agreement. There's no time to try until we stop Galactus, and it could be too late. If the Quantum Lab gets any more damage, it won't work. The twins need to go with you. If we are successful and we can reverse this, it'll be like nothing happened here. The twins will be back with their parents, but these two," he pointed to Carol and Bucky who were carrying James and Sarah into the room, "will continue to exist with you in your reality." He paused. "This way, if we fail, we still saved the kids. If we succeed, we still get to know they are safe and, hopefully, if we can fix the timeline, we'll still watch them grow up. You know our Steve and Natasha would approve."

Natasha nodded as she hugged the twins close to her. "I think I understand. Steve and I will take care of them."

"Did you figure things out in your reality?" Carol asked.

"We're together," Natasha replied, suddenly uncomfortable saying more to this Carol. "Will you come for them?"

"No," Tony replied. "Like I said, if we can save the planet today, we'll try to fix time again as if it never happened. But, even if we can't-"

"The children still need their parents," Natasha finished.

Within a few minutes, Natasha was strapping the faraday box, with the twins inside, to her suit. "My arrival was pretty rough."

"The lab took some damage," Tony replied. "I can't guarantee you'll have an easy trip. There's a slight chance you won't make it home, but it's still better odds than staying."

"I understand. Go save the world, Tony," Natasha replied.

"On it. Good luck, Natasha."

Natasha walked into the portal. It was even rougher than her first trip. She felt like she was being ripped apart. "We're not going to make it," she thought just before she lost consciousness.


	10. Chapter 10

"She's been gone too long," Steve said as he hit the table in the lab. "She was supposed to just give them the disk and come home."

Bucky put his hand on Steve's arm. "If they needed her help, you know she wouldn't just walk away."

"I love her, Bucky. She's the one," Steve said softly.

"I know, Steve. We all know. It's about time you two figured it out. Just give her time," Bucky replied.

Hank was looking closely at the monitor. "This is strange. Natasha's signature just appeared, but I can't pull her out and she isn't exiting the portal. Captain, since you're already suited up-"

"Tell me what to do," Steve said quickly.

"I need you to go inside the Quantum Realm and bring her out personally. Her suit could be damaged," Hank replied.

Steve did exactly as he was instructed and soon he was at the coordinates inside the Quantum Realm. At first, he didn't see any sign of Natasha so he moved further into the insanity of quantum particles until she came into view. "I see her," he said into his microphone. "I don't think she's conscious. I'm moving in closer." Steve finally reached Natasha and discovered she was indeed unconscious. As he pulled her into her arms, he saw the box. "There's some kind of box attached to her suit. Will it be safe to bring her through while it's attached or should I try to remove it?"

"What kind of box?" Hank asked.

"It's metal. It looks like one of the ones in the lab," Steve replied. "There's a Stark Industry symbol on the lid."

"The other reality might have sent a message. It shouldn't be an issue," Hank replied.

Wanda chimed in next. "I've already alerted Dr. Cho. She's on her way to the lab."

"Thank you," Steve replied as he pulled Natasha and the box into his arms, awkwardly trying to maneuver them to his exit. "On our way."

Steve pulled Natasha's mask off as soon as he had her on the lab table. Dr. Cho had already arrived and she and Bruce were already examining Natasha.

"It must have been a rough trip. I need a cat scan and an MRI. She's breathing on her own, so I suspect it's a concussion. I'll know more soon," Dr. Cho informed them. "Can someone unhook that box?"

"On it," Tony replied. He quickly unhooked the tether then opened the box. "Um, Dr. Cho, it would appear you have a few more patients. Red brought a couple of stragglers."

Steve turned and looked inside the box. He immediately recognized James and Sarah. They were sleeping, probably a medical induced coma. Each baby wore and oxygen mask, and there was a small oxygen tank between them. "She brought back the twins," Steve whispered as his eyes passed from one child to the next then focused on Natasha. "She wouldn't have done that unless things were already desperate."

"Without Marvel's warning, we would be in a heap of trouble right now. Maybe we didn't warn them on time," Tony said softly.

"Get the box and bring the children to the med bay. We'll figure out the why later," Dr. Cho ordered.

The next hour was excruciating for Steve. He could only wait while Natasha's tests were performed and the two babies slept. James was the first to begin to wake up. The small boy's eyes moved around the room until they locked with Steve's. "Daddy!" he declared, putting his arms out.

Steve immediately went to the boy and held him. He didn't know why the children were here, but he knew the boy needed comfort and he kind of needed a little comfort himself. "I'm right here, buddy," he said as he patted James's head gently.

Little James curled up in his arms and put his head on Steve's chest before pointing at the beds with his sister and Natasha in them. "Uh oh," he said. "Mommy sick. Oh no."

"Mommy and Sarah are sleeping. They'll be awake soon," Steve said, praying he was telling the truth.

Sam came in with a snack for James then he and Wanda, with Dr. Cho's approval, took the little boy down to the common room where he could move around more. They were still gone when Sarah woke up, ready to eat and fretting over her mommy.

"Hey, it's okay Sarah. Daddy's here," Steve whispered, marveling at how easy it was to pretend he was their father. He finally understood why Natasha wore the locket everyday. She had been their mother for 2 weeks. These babies were very easy to love.

Dr. Cho and Bruce came back in while he was feeding Sarah part of the snack Sam had brought. "It's a little more serious than I suspected. Natasha has some swelling in her brain. With time, I suspect the swelling will go down on it's own, but if it continues, we are going to have to consider surgery," Dr. Cho said with a frown.

"Surgery?" Steve asked, the alarm evident in his voice.

"Worst case scenario," Dr. Cho tried to reassure him. "We'll do everything we can for her, but you need to get some rest."

Bruce cleared his throat. "Steve, I don't know why the children are here, but they are going to need you. You really should try and get some rest. The rest of us can help with the twins for awhile."

"I think I'd rather take care of them myself," Steve replied. He knew it was irrational for him to not want Bruce looking after the children.

Bruce nodded. "I understand, but the offer still stands," he paused slightly. "There's probably something else we should consider since we both care a lot about Natasha."

"What's that?"

"Do you honestly think our Nat would bring these children here and leave their mother behind if-"

Steve felt I'll suddenly at what Bruce was suggesting. "You don't think this is Natasha, my Natasha," he replied with extra emphasis on the word my.

Bruce pulled Natasha's locket out of his pocket and handed it to Steve. "I'm pretty sure the other Natasha didn't wear this around her neck, but if this is our Natasha, it doesn't bode well for the Natasha we had with us for those few weeks, does it? Just trying to prepare you for whatever we learn when she wakes up. I get it. She chose you. I'm not trying to be a jerk here. But, I'm a scientist. I try to look at all the possibilities, and, in this case, you probably need to do the same."

Steve nodded, and Sarah put her arms out toward Bruce. Steve reluctantly let her go to him and watched as he cooed at the child and told her she was a pretty little girl just like her momma. He looked at the locket in her hands and desperately tried not to think about the chaos the other reality must be in for these children to be with him.

As soon as Sarah was back in his arms, Clint walked into the room. "I just thought I'd check on our girl," he said softly. "Tony filled us in, but I needed to see her for myself."

"She's strong," Steve replied. "She's going to get through this."

Clint smiled softly. "That's what I was going to say to you. There's nothing you can do in here right now, Cap. Let's take this little girl down to see her brother. They'll call us if anything changes."

Steve nodded and followed Clint out the door. "I love her, Clint. I can't do this without her."

"You won't have to and, in the mean time, you've got the team. I've already called Laura. She knows I'm staying until Nat's awake, and I happen to be really good at toddlers. It's my real super power. I'll teach you everything I know."

Three days passed with very little change in Natasha's condition. The swelling did seem to be going down a little, and Steve was relieved when Dr. Cho informed him surgery would not be necessary. But, adjusting to two little people who just wanted their mother was a lot to handle when he just wanted her, too.

Steve spent a lot of time in the med bay. Tony had sent out for supplies for the kids and his supply list had wisely included toys and books, so Steve spent a lot of time reading to the twins on one of the extra beds near Natasha's or watching them play quietly in the floor.

He had Natasha's laptop out late in the afternoon when Wanda walked into the room. He was looking at the house.

"What are you doing?" Wanda asked as she sat beside him.

Steve showed her the image on the screen. "The other us lived in this house. Nat and I were going to put in an offer."

"It's amazing that it's for sale. Why haven't you placed a bid yet?" Wanda asked.

Steve just looked over at his sleeping girlfriend. "Don't you think I should wait for Nat?"

"I think if it sells before she wakes up, you are going to be in the doghouse. Cap, you should just buy it. Think about the children. They can't go back. The Pyms said it would be too dangerous. You have a family. You need a house."

"The location is close by," Steve said, "and it is the one she wanted."

"Just do it, Cap," Wanda urged.

"Do what?" Natasha asked groggily.

Steve and Wanda looked at each other then at Natasha. "I'll get Cho," Wanda said as she jumped up and headed for the door.

Steve practically kept to Natasha's side. "You're awake!"

"Getting there, soldier," She replied then her eyes opened wider. "The twins, are they okay?"

Steve didn't get to answer before the kids heard her voice and started squealing with joy. "Mommy wake, mommy wake."

"Does that answer your question?" he asked. She nodded. "You gave us a bit of a scare. You've been out for three days."

"Sorry, you must have questions. I was a little late with the warning. The other us didn't-"

"We kind of figured," Steve replied.

"I couldn't exactly ask your opinion, and I know this is a lot. But, I couldn't leave them behind."

"You did the right thing, Nat. They're pretty amazing," Steve said as he kissed her forehead.

"This changes things."

"In a good way," he assured her. "I love you. I love them. We will figure this out together."

Natasha smiled. Steve lifted each child to give her a kiss before Dr. Cho entered the room. As Dr. Cho was pushing him out the door, he and Natasha locked eyes and he knew everything was going to be just fine.


	11. Chapter 11

**Epilogue**

 **(Short and pure fluff, thanks for reading.)**

Natasha grinned as she watched Steve roughhousing with the twins. They'd only been in the house a few weeks, but things were going really well. She had used most of her recovery time shopping on line, trying to pick furniture as close to the furniture in their house in the other reality. She was very pleased with the way the house had come together. The twins hadn't noticed the things she couldn't exactly replicate, and Steve looked so content.

She and Steve had discussed things and they knew someday the twins would need to know the truth, but why burden their children with things they couldn't possibly understand? And, James and Sarah were their children now. This was the reality she would protect with everything in her.

Steve stopped playing with the kids and sat down beside her. "I'd say 'penny for your thoughts', but we both know they are worth more than that. What are you thinking about?"

"I was just thinking about how happy I am, but I guess I also feel a little guilty. We are here living our life together, but the other us, their reality, our Carol-those are some big losses," Natasha said softly.

"You're not wrong. We definitely got the better end of this deal, but, you know what, Romanoff? I think it was finally our turn to win for a change. Since I woke up from the ice, I've really just been existing, that is until I got you. And, you have more than wiped out the red from your ledger in multiple time lines and realities. I say we just enjoy the moment."

Natasha kissed Steve on the cheek and cuddled in close to his side. "I think I can do that."

"I was thinking," Steve said slowly, "you've worked so hard to make this place just like the one the kids came from but you missed one glaringly obvious difference."

Natasha sat up and looked at Steve. "What did I miss?" she asked, suddenly concerned.

"Their parents weren't just living together. They were married. I think, strictly in the desire to be as accurate as possible of course, we should fix that, too."

"Steve, that's the worst proposal I've ever heard," Natasha teased.

"Yeah, well, my wing woman wasn't exactly the right person for me to get tips from this time around," Steve teased before putting his hand in his pocket and pulling out an engagement ring. "Maybe I should try again. Natasha Romanoff, would you make me the happiest man in any reality and be my wife?"

Natasha kissed Steve again before putting out her hand so he could put the ring on her finger. "You're sure it's not too soon?"

"I'm all in," Steve replied before pulling her into a kiss. "All in," he repeated.

They opted for a quiet civil service a few days later with just their friends in attendance. Dr. Cho pulled them aside during the small reception.

"I've been thinking about that cradle from the other reality. It could easily work here if you want another child.

Natasha looked at Steve then back at Dr. Cho. "Thank you, but I think we have everything we need right now."

"You're sure?" Steve asked as they walked away.

"If you want a baby, we could go back and say yes, but I think things are pretty perfect," Natasha replied.

Steve smiled. "I think I'm with you on this one. Things are absolutely perfect just the way they are."

 **And, they lived happily ever after.**


End file.
